TY - JOUR AB - Cell migration is commonly accompanied by protrusion of membrane ruffles and lamellipodia. In two-dimensional migration, protrusion of these thin sheets of cytoplasm is considered relevant to both exploration of new space and initiation of nascent adhesion to the substratum. Lamellipodium formation can be potently stimulated by Rho GTPases of the Rac subfamily, but alsoby RhoG or Cdc42. Here we describe viable fibroblast cell lines geneticallydeficient for Rac1 that lack detectable levels of Rac2 and Rac3. Rac-deficient cells were devoid of apparent lamellipodia, but these structures were restored by expression of either Rac subfamily member, but not by Cdc42 or RhoG. Cells deficient in Rac showed strong reduction in wound closure and random cell migration and a notable loss of sensitivity to a chemotactic gradient. Despite these defects, Rac-deficient cells were able to spread, formed filopodia and established focal adhesions. Spreading in these cells was achieved by the extension of filopodia followed by the advancement of cytoplasmic veils between them. The number and size of focal adhesions as well as their intensity were largely unaffected by genetic removal of Rac1. However, Rac deficiency increased the mobility of different components in focal adhesions, potentially explaining how Rac - although not essential - can contribute to focal adhesion assembly. Together, our data demonstrate that Rac signaling is essential for lamellipodium protrusion and for efficient cell migration, but not for spreading or filopodium formation. Our findings also suggest that Rac GTPases are crucial to the establishment or maintenance of polarity in chemotactic migration. AU - Steffen, Anika AU - Ladwein, Markus AU - Georgi Dimchev AU - Hein, Anke AU - Schwenkmezger, Lisa AU - Arens, Stefan AU - Ladwein, Kathrin I AU - Holleboom, J. Margit AU - Florian Schur AU - Small, John V AU - Schwarz, Janett AU - Gerhard, Ralf AU - Faix, Jan AU - Stradal, Theresia E AU - Brakebusch, Cord H AU - Rottner, Klemens ID - 811 IS - 20 JF - Journal of Cell Science TI - Rac function is crucial for cell migration but is not required for spreading and focal adhesion formation VL - 126 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Lamellipodia are sheet-like protrusions formed during migration or phagocytosis and comprise a network of actin filaments. Filament formation in this network is initiated by nucleation/branching through the actin-related protein 2/3 (Arp2/3) complex downstream of its activator, suppressor of cAMP receptor/WASP-family verprolin homologous (Scar/WAVE), but the relative relevance of Arp2/3-mediated branching versus actin filament elongation is unknown. Here we use instantaneous interference with Arp2/3 complex function in live fibroblasts with established lamellipodia. This allows direct examination of both the fate of elongating filaments upon instantaneous suppression of Arp2/3 complex activity and the consequences of this treatment on the dynamics of other lamellipodial regulators. We show that Arp2/3 complex is an essential organizer of treadmilling actin filament arrays but has little effect on the net rate of actin filament turnover at the cell periphery. In addition, Arp2/3 complex serves as key upstream factor for the recruitment of modulators of lamellipodia formation such as capping protein or cofilin. Arp2/3 complex is thus decisive for filament organization and geometry within the network not only by generating branches and novel filament ends, but also by directing capping or severing activities to the lamellipodium. Arp2/3 complex is also crucial to lamellipodia-based migration of keratocytes. AU - Koestler, Stefan A AU - Steffen, Anika AU - Maria Nemethova AU - Winterhoff, Moritz AU - Luo, Ningning AU - Holleboom, J. Margit AU - Krupp, Jessica AU - Jacob, Sonja AU - Vinzenz, Marlene AU - Florian Schur AU - Schlüter, Kai AU - Gunning, Peter W AU - Winkler, Christoph AU - Schmeiser, Christian AU - Faix, Jan AU - Stradal, Theresia E AU - Small, John V AU - Rottner, Klemens ID - 812 IS - 18 JF - Molecular Biology of the Cell TI - Arp2/3 complex is essential for actin network treadmilling as well as for targeting of capping protein and cofilin VL - 24 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Cryo-electron tomography combined with image processing by sub-tomogram averaging is unique in its power to resolve the structures of proteins and macromolecular complexes in situ. Limitations of the method, including the low signal to noise ratio within individual images from cryo-tomographic datasets and difficulties in determining the defocus at which the data was collected, mean that to date the very best structures obtained by sub-tomogram averaging are limited to a resolution of approximately 15. Å. Here, by optimizing data collection and defocus determination steps, we have determined the structure of assembled Mason-Pfizer monkey virus Gag protein using sub-tomogram averaging to a resolution of 8.5. Å. At this resolution alpha-helices can be directly and clearly visualized. These data demonstrate for the first time that high-resolution structural information can be obtained from cryo-electron tomograms using sub-tomogram averaging. Sub-tomogram averaging has the potential to allow detailed studies of unsolved and biologically relevant structures under biologically relevant conditions. AU - Florian Schur AU - Hagen, Wim J AU - De Marco, Alex AU - Briggs, John A ID - 810 IS - 3 JF - Journal of Structural Biology TI - Determination of protein structure at 8.5Å resolution using cryo-electron tomography and sub-tomogram averaging VL - 184 ER - TY - JOUR AB - Background: Monoclonal antibodies (mAb), such as trastuzumab are a valuable addition to breast cancer therapy. Data obtained from neoadjuvant settings revealed that antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) is a major mechanism of action for the mAb trastuzumab. Conflicting results still call into question whether disease progression, prolonged treatment or concomitant chemotherapy influences ADCC and related immunological phenomena. Methods: We analyzed the activity of ADCC and antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis (ADCP) of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu) positive breast cancer patients receiving trastuzumab therapy either in an adjuvant (n = 13) or metastatic (n = 15) setting as well as from trastuzumab treatment-naive (t-naive) HER2/neu negative patients (n = 15). PBMCs from healthy volunteers (n = 24) were used as controls. ADCC and ADCP activity was correlated with the expression of antibody binding Fc-gamma receptor (FcγR)I (CD64), FcγRII (CD32) and FcγRIII (CD16) on CD14+ (monocytes) and CD56+ (NK) cells, as well as the expression of CD107a+ (LAMP-1) on CD56+ cells and the total amount of CD4+CD25+FOXP3+ (Treg) cells. In metastatic patients, markers were correlated with progression-free survival (PFS). Results: ADCC activity was significantly down regulated in metastatic, adjuvant and t-naive patient cohorts as compared to healthy controls. Reduced ADCC activity was inversely correlated with the expression of CD107a on CD56+ cells in adjuvant patients. ADCC and ADCP activity of the patient cohorts were similar, regardless of treatment duration or additional chemotherapy. PFS in metastatic patients inversely correlated with the number of peripheral Treg cells. Conclusion: The reduction of ADCC in patients as compared to healthy controls calls for adjuvant strategies, such as immune-enhancing agents, to improve the activity of trastuzumab. However, efficacy of trastuzumab-specific ADCC and ADCP appears not to be affected by treatment duration, disease progression or concomitant chemotherapy. This finding supports the application of trastuzumab at any stage of the disease. AU - Petricevic, Branka AU - Laengle, Johannes AU - Singer, Josef AU - Sachet, Monika AU - Fazekas, Judit AU - Steger, Guenther AU - Bartsch, Rupert AU - Jensen-Jarolim, Erika AU - Bergmann, Michael ID - 8245 JF - Journal of Translational Medicine SN - 1479-5876 TI - Trastuzumab mediates antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and phagocytosis to the same extent in both adjuvant and metastatic HER2/neu breast cancer patients VL - 11 ER - TY - JOUR AB - As sessile organisms, plants have to be able to adapt to a continuously changing environment. Plants that perceive some of these changes as stress signals activate signaling pathways to modulate their development and to enable them to survive. The complex responses to environmental cues are to a large extent mediated by plant hormones that together orchestrate the final plant response. The phytohormone cytokinin is involved in many plant developmental processes. Recently, it has been established that cytokinin plays an important role in stress responses, but does not act alone. Indeed, the hormonal control of plant development and stress adaptation is the outcome of a complex network of multiple synergistic and antagonistic interactions between various hormones. Here, we review the recent findings on the cytokinin function as part of this hormonal network. We focus on the importance of the crosstalk between cytokinin and other hormones, such as abscisic acid, jasmonate, salicylic acid, ethylene, and auxin in the modulation of plant development and stress adaptation. Finally, the impact of the current research in the biotechnological industry will be discussed. AU - O'Brien, José AU - Benková, Eva ID - 827 JF - Frontiers in Plant Science TI - Cytokinin cross talking during biotic and abiotic stress responses VL - 4 ER -